“You don't smoke do you?""No, why?""They're afraid of fire.""Great, we're going to be eaten alive because neither of us smokes." I almost laughed. He sounded so thoroughly disgusted…”

“Everyone has their weaknesses. Some people smoke. I collect stuffed penguins. If you won't tell, I won't.”

“If I went in the cage, I was going to end up eaten alive. That was actually one of my top five ways not to die...”

“I locked the door, for what good it would do me, and went to bed. The Browning Hi-Power was in its second home, a modified holster strapped to the headboard of my bed. The crucifix was cool metal around my neck. I was as safe as I was going to be and almost too tired to care.I took one more thing to bed with me, a stuffed toy penguin named Sigmund. I don't sleep with him often, just every once in a while after someone tries to kill me. Everyone has their weaknesses. Some people smoke. I collect stuffed penguins. If you won't tell, I won't.”

“I wasn't afraid of him anymore, because I could smell his fear. You never had to be afraid of anything that was afraid of you.”

“Asher was a vampire. How much more dangerous could he be with a gun? But I couldn't do it. "Let me test my understanding. Is Asher going to ride in the car with us to the meeting?"I must to give you directions," Asher said.Then lean against the Jeep." He frowned at me in an amused, condescending sort of way. Excuse me?"I don't care if you're the second coming of the Antichrist, you can't sit behind me in my own car until I know you're not carrying a weapon." Asher smiled briliantly at both of us, flashing fang....I could rip you into pieces with my bare hands, and you're worried I have a gun?" He chuckled, a low, skin-prickling sound. "That is so very cute.”

“Who hit you?""Why, so you can go beat him up?" "One of the fringe benefits of being my human servant is my protection.""I don't need your protection, Jean-Claude.""He hurt you.""And I shoved a gun into his groin and made him tell me everything he knew," I said.”